Shelbyville expands fire fleet

Shelbyville's fire department will soon put a new pumper truck into service, expanding its fleet and possibly lowering insurance rates, the city's fire chief said.

Fire Chief John Habel said the new pumper contains some of the latest firefighting innovations, such as extra capacity for foam used to extinguish newer mixtures of fuel containing alcohol.

The truck has a 1,500-gallon capacity and is considered a state-of-the-art pumper, Habel said. The emissions from the engine are more environmentally friendly, and Habel says the exhaust smells more like a clothes dryer than a diesel engine.

The truck also is equipped with security features mandated by the Department of Homeland Security, such as new types of locks on its doors.

Bid price for the truck was $325,000, according to Habel, and it replaces a 1969 model pumper, which will be moved out of front-line service and put in reserve. Adding another pumper to the firefighting fleet means the department won't have to buy a new one to add a new station, Habel said.

"At some point, it will help boost our ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating," Habel said. "We just have to do a little training with our guys and we'll be ready to put it into service ... probably in mid-July."

ISO works for insurance companies and rates communities across the country. Looking at the water supply, communications and fire departments, ISO reviews the fire suppression capabilities of a community and assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) -- a number from 1 to 10.

No community in Tennessee is rated 1. One town has been given a 2 and 34 communities, including Shelbyville, have been rated 3. Shelbyville was upgraded from 4 in 2005. Only 2.6 percent of communities across the United States have the 3 rating.

A fire department makes up 50 percent of an ISO review; the water supply system accounts for 40 percent, while fire alarm and communication systems make up the other 10 percent.

Habel explained that placing the pumper in the main station on Lane Parkway would allow the department to refurbish another truck and place it at the North Hillcrest Drive station, which will give the city another reserve truck when a third fire hall is added in coming years.

The pumper isn't the only new vehicle joining the fleet. A new combination ladder/pumper truck is expected to be delivered. The truck was purchased with a $475,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security vehicle acquisition grant received last year.

The city had to pay only five percent of the cost, Habel said.

The truck will replace a 35-year-old snorkel truck.